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Kesler and the Sedins carry Canucks past Colorado

Nov 25, 2010 - 6:50 AM Vancouver, BC (Sports Network) - Ryan Kesler notched the game-winner early in the third period and the Sedin twins combined for four points as Vancouver doubled up Colorado, 4-2, at Rogers Arena.

Kevin Bieksa and Alex Burrows also tallied for the Canucks, who put the brakes on a four-game losing skid.

Roberto Luongo stopped 21-of-23 shots for the win.

"We play well as a team and tonight we did a lot better job than we did the last few games," Burrows said. "So it's nice to score goals, but it's even nicer to get the win."

John-Michael Liles posted a goal and a helper, and Matt Duchene also scored for the Avalanche, who saw their four-game win streak ended.

"We didn't play our game, and that was the bottom line," said Avalanche head coach Joe Sacco. "Our game is skating, our game is forechecking. When we did do that we had some success. But we turned too many pucks over through the neutral zone, which didn't allow us to really establish our forecheck, our game."

Peter Budaj took the loss after allowing three goals on 12 shots over the final 40 minutes. Craig Anderson started the game but left with a groin injury following the first period, in which he made six stops.

Kesler was credited with a score than put Vancouver ahead 3-1, when he batted a puck out of mid-air in the crease and over a fallen Budaj. A lengthy review determined his stick was below the crossbar when it made contact with the disc at 3:52 of the third period.

Colorado cut its deficit to one at 6:46, when Duchene poked a loose puck through a goalmouth scramble.

Burrows then beat Budaj with a one-timer from the right side after touches by both Sedin brothers on a 3-on-2 rush for a 4-2 Canucks edge with 6:53 left in regulation.

The Avs failed to muster any offense despite a late-game power play and pulling Budaj for an extra skater for the final three minutes.

Bieksa put the Canucks on the board past the midway point of the first period.

Liles evened the game on a power play just after the five-minute mark of the second, but Henrik fed Daniel for a tip-in and 2-1 Vancouver edge at the halfway point of regulation.

Game Notes

Vancouver has won all three meetings this season and has taken seven of the last eight matchups since November 1, 2009...Henrik Sedin hasn't scored a goal since November 4, but has accumulated 12 assists in the last nine games since then...Colorado had struck for 19 goals during its winning streak.